Dr. Margie Warrell Speaker Biography
Globally Recognized Leadership Expert, Organizational Change Strategist, and Authority on Resilience, Decision-Making, and High-Performance Cultures
Dr. Margie Warrell is a globally recognized leadership expert, executive advisor, bestselling author, and keynote speaker who helps individuals and organizations overcome fear, embrace change, and develop the courage to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and conviction. With more than 25 years of experience working with Fortune 500 executives and organizations across more than 30 countries, Warrell combines behavioral science, executive-level business insight, and compelling storytelling to demonstrate why courageous leadership is essential for innovation, resilience, and sustainable success.
A former Senior Partner at Korn Ferry, where she worked in board and CEO succession advisory, Margie Warrell understands the complex decisions confronting today’s business leaders. Her experience advising senior executives, combined with her PhD in Human Development, provides a distinctive perspective on the psychological barriers that prevent individuals and organizations from reaching their full potential. As artificial intelligence, economic uncertainty, and rapid technological disruption reshape the business landscape, Warrell challenges leaders to recognize the hidden costs of playing it safe, confront difficult decisions, and build cultures where people have the confidence to speak up, take intelligent risks, and pursue meaningful change.
Keynote Speaker Margie Warrell at a Glance
- Global Courageous Leadership Expert: More than 25 years advising executives and organizations on leadership, resilience, organizational culture, decision-making, and navigating uncertainty, with presentations delivered in more than 30 countries.
- Former Korn Ferry Senior Partner and Executive Advisor: Former Senior Partner in Korn Ferry’s Board and CEO Succession practice, with experience advising senior executives and corporate boards; faculty for Google’s School for Leaders and Duke Corporate Education.
- Bestselling Author and Behavioral Science Authority: Holds a PhD in Human Development and has written six books, including The Courage Gap: 5 Steps to Braver Action, Stop Playing Safe, Brave, and You’ve Got This!.
- Trusted Corporate Speaker and Thought Leader: Has worked with organizations including NASA, Google, Microsoft, Deloitte, Johnson & Johnson, Dell, Morgan Stanley, and Salesforce; Forbes columnist, LinkedIn Top Voice, and host of the Live Brave podcast.
Courageous Leadership in an Age of Uncertainty and Disruption
In today’s rapidly changing business environment, leaders are expected to make important decisions despite incomplete information, shifting expectations, and increasing organizational complexity. Dr. Margie Warrell believes that one of the greatest threats to organizational success is not necessarily making the wrong decision, but allowing fear and uncertainty to prevent necessary action.
Drawing on decades of experience advising executives and studying human behavior, Warrell examines how fear can disguise itself as excessive caution, perfectionism, delayed decisions, avoidance of difficult conversations, and resistance to change. These behaviors can create a significant gap between what leaders recognize they should do and what they ultimately accomplish. Her work challenges the assumption that courage is an innate personality trait possessed by a select few. Instead, she demonstrates that courageous leadership is a capability that can be developed through deliberate practice, self-awareness, and a willingness to act despite discomfort.
Warrell helps leaders recognize how their own assumptions and emotional responses influence decision-making, particularly when the consequences of failure appear significant. By developing greater confidence in their judgment and a stronger commitment to their values, leaders can make more effective decisions, encourage accountability, and create environments where employees feel empowered to contribute their ideas. Her insights are especially valuable for organizations navigating industry disruption, leadership transitions, technological transformation, and changing workforce expectations.
Executive Leadership Experience with Korn Ferry and Global Organizations
Margie Warrell brings substantial executive advisory experience to her work as a keynote speaker and leadership strategist. As a former Senior Partner in Korn Ferry’s Board and CEO Succession practice, she worked with senior business leaders confronting complex challenges involving organizational leadership, executive development, and succession planning. This experience provided firsthand insight into the pressures facing executives responsible for guiding large organizations, developing future leaders, and making consequential decisions amid uncertainty. Warrell has also served as faculty for Google’s School for Leaders and Duke Corporate Education, contributing her expertise in leadership development, human behavior, and organizational effectiveness.
Throughout her career, she has worked with prominent global organizations including Google, NASA, Microsoft, Deloitte, Johnson & Johnson, Morgan Stanley, Dell, and Salesforce. Her experience spans industries and organizational cultures, enabling her to connect fundamental leadership principles with the distinct challenges facing different audiences. Unlike traditional motivational speakers who focus primarily on inspiration, Warrell combines behavioral research with practical executive experience. She understands the organizational consequences of indecision, the importance of establishing trust, and the leadership behaviors that encourage people to challenge established assumptions and take meaningful action. Her work helps executives translate leadership intentions into measurable behavioral change while strengthening the confidence, accountability, and adaptability necessary for long-term organizational success.
The Courage Gap: Turning Insight Into Braver Action
Margie Warrell’s latest book, The Courage Gap: 5 Steps to Braver Action, published in 2025, examines one of the most persistent challenges in leadership and personal development: the distance between knowing what should be done and finding the courage to do it. Featuring a foreword by General Stanley McChrystal, the book draws on behavioral science, leadership research, and Warrell’s extensive experience advising executives and organizations. It introduces a practical five-step framework designed to help individuals recognize the fears influencing their decisions, challenge limiting assumptions, and take more courageous action. Warrell explores why talented, capable people frequently hesitate to pursue opportunities, speak candidly, make difficult decisions, or challenge established practices even when they understand the potential benefits. Rather than encouraging reckless risk-taking, she emphasizes the importance of making thoughtful, values-driven decisions while accepting that uncertainty is an unavoidable part of meaningful progress. The Courage Gap was recognized among The Globe and Mail’s best management books of 2025 and has received literary recognition for its contribution to leadership and personal development. The principles explored in the book are particularly relevant for executives, managers, entrepreneurs, and professionals seeking to strengthen their confidence, overcome hesitation, and translate ambitious goals into meaningful results.
Bestselling Books on Leadership, Confidence, and Personal Growth
In addition to The Courage Gap, Margie Warrell has written several influential books exploring courageous leadership, resilience, personal responsibility, and the importance of challenging self-imposed limitations.
Her book Stop Playing Safe: How to Be Braver in Your Work, Leadership and Life examines how fear of failure and the desire for certainty can prevent professionals from pursuing opportunities and achieving their potential. Drawing on leadership research and practical business experience, Warrell encourages readers to recognize the costs of excessive caution and develop greater confidence in their decisions.
In Brave: 50 Everyday Acts of Courage to Thrive in Work, Love and Life, she demonstrates how courage can be strengthened through everyday choices, from speaking up in difficult situations to pursuing goals that require individuals to move beyond familiar boundaries.
You’ve Got This!: The Life-Changing Power of Trusting Yourself focuses on developing self-confidence, managing uncertainty, and recognizing the personal capabilities necessary to navigate life’s challenges.
Her earlier book, Find Your Courage: 12 Acts for Becoming Fearless at Work and in Life, offers practical strategies for confronting fear, taking responsibility for personal growth, and pursuing meaningful goals.
Across her books, Warrell emphasizes a consistent principle: personal and professional progress requires individuals to recognize their fears without allowing those fears to determine their future. Her writing has established her as an influential voice on the relationship between human behavior, leadership effectiveness, and the courage required to achieve meaningful change.
Leading Through Artificial Intelligence and Technological Transformation
As artificial intelligence transforms business operations, decision-making, and organizational strategy, Margie Warrell emphasizes the growing importance of distinctly human leadership capabilities. While technology can process enormous quantities of information and support increasingly sophisticated decisions, it cannot replace the human responsibility to exercise judgment, establish trust, demonstrate empathy, and make ethical choices. Warrell explores why organizations must develop leaders who can combine technological understanding with the courage to question assumptions, challenge established practices, and make difficult decisions when outcomes remain uncertain.
Her perspective is particularly relevant as businesses adopt artificial intelligence and confront the organizational challenges associated with automation, changing job responsibilities, and new expectations for leadership. She encourages leaders to recognize that technological advancement alone does not guarantee organizational progress. Successful transformation also requires employees who are willing to learn, adapt, communicate openly, and take responsibility for creating better outcomes. By strengthening these human capabilities, organizations can develop cultures that are better prepared to navigate disruption, encourage innovation, and respond confidently to emerging opportunities.
Building Resilient, Change-Ready Organizational Cultures
Margie Warrell believes that organizations must move beyond simply managing change after it occurs and develop the courage to anticipate disruption before circumstances demand an immediate response. Her work examines why individuals and teams often resist change even when they recognize that established approaches are becoming less effective. Fear of failure, attachment to familiar routines, and uncertainty about future outcomes can create resistance that undermines organizational agility. Warrell helps leaders understand how these psychological barriers influence employee behavior and organizational performance. She demonstrates why resilience is not simply the ability to recover from adversity, but also the willingness to adapt, learn, and pursue new possibilities.
Central to her approach is the importance of creating environments where employees feel safe expressing concerns, challenging assumptions, and contributing ideas without unnecessary fear of criticism or rejection. By encouraging open communication, accountability, and intelligent risk-taking, leaders can strengthen trust while developing teams that respond more effectively to changing conditions. Her insights provide a valuable framework for organizations seeking to improve collaboration, strengthen employee engagement, and build cultures capable of sustaining performance through uncertainty.
Empowering Women to Lead with Confidence and Courage
As an internationally recognized advocate for courageous leadership, Margie Warrell has inspired women around the world to challenge limiting beliefs, recognize their professional value, and pursue opportunities that demand greater visibility and responsibility. Her own journey from a dairy farm in rural Australia, where she grew up as the eldest of eight children, to advising senior executives at major global organizations demonstrates the importance of perseverance, self-belief, and the willingness to move beyond familiar boundaries. Warrell understands that accomplished professionals can continue to experience self-doubt, fear of rejection, and uncertainty about whether they are ready for greater leadership responsibilities. She challenges women to recognize how perfectionism, excessive self-criticism, and the desire for external approval can influence career decisions and prevent talented individuals from pursuing ambitious goals. Rather than waiting until they feel completely prepared, Warrell encourages professionals to develop confidence through action, embrace opportunities for growth, and recognize that meaningful leadership frequently requires stepping into unfamiliar territory. Her message resonates with women’s leadership conferences, executive development programs, professional associations, and organizations committed to developing confident, capable leaders at every level.
A Trusted Voice for Leading Global Companies and Organizations
Margie Warrell has shared her leadership insights with executives, employees, and professional audiences at some of the world’s most influential organizations. Her corporate experience includes work with Google, NASA, Microsoft, Deloitte, Johnson & Johnson, Dell, Morgan Stanley, and Salesforce, reflecting the broad relevance of her expertise across technology, financial services, healthcare, professional services, and other industries.
Her experience as a former Korn Ferry Senior Partner and executive advisor distinguishes her from speakers whose leadership perspectives are based primarily on personal inspiration. Warrell understands the practical realities of organizational decision-making, leadership accountability, succession planning, and the challenges associated with developing effective teams. She has delivered keynote presentations and leadership programs in more than 30 countries, helping audiences recognize the behaviors that limit performance and the opportunities created by greater confidence, adaptability, and courageous action.
Her insights have also reached international audiences through her writing for Forbes and appearances in prominent media outlets, including CNN, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal. As host of the Live Brave podcast, Warrell continues to explore leadership, resilience, personal growth, and the importance of making courageous choices through conversations with influential thinkers and accomplished professionals.
An Engaging Keynote Speaker Who Inspires Courageous Action
Margie Warrell combines the credibility of a seasoned executive advisor with the warmth, humor, and authenticity of a compelling storyteller. Her presentations draw on behavioral science, business experience, and personal stories to help audiences recognize the gap between their intentions and their actions. Known for her engaging delivery and practical insights, Warrell challenges participants to examine the assumptions that influence their decisions, identify the fears limiting their performance, and develop the confidence to move forward despite uncertainty. Her message is particularly relevant for leadership conferences, corporate meetings, executive retreats, women’s leadership events, sales organizations, and professional associations navigating organizational change. Whether addressing courageous decision-making, leadership development, organizational resilience, artificial intelligence, or the importance of speaking up in difficult situations, Warrell delivers a memorable combination of inspiration and practical strategies. She helps audiences understand that courageous leadership is not about eliminating fear or possessing extraordinary confidence. It is about developing the willingness to act on what matters, even when circumstances are uncertain and the outcome cannot be guaranteed.
Book Margie Warrell for Your Next Leadership Conference or Corporate Event
Bring the insights of a globally recognized courageous leadership expert, former Korn Ferry Senior Partner, and bestselling author to your next event. Dr. Margie Warrell delivers compelling keynote presentations that help leaders and organizations overcome hesitation, embrace change, make better decisions, and build cultures of trust, accountability, and innovation. With more than 25 years of experience advising global executives and organizations, Warrell offers audiences a powerful combination of behavioral science, practical business expertise, and authentic inspiration. Her internationally recognized work and award-winning book The Courage Gap make her an exceptional choice for leadership conferences, executive retreats, women’s leadership events, corporate meetings, and professional association gatherings.
Contact Speakers.com today to inquire about Margie Warrell’s speaking fee, availability, and keynote presentations for your upcoming leadership conference, corporate event, executive summit, or organizational development program.
Dr. Margie Warrell Speaking Topics
Make the Brave Choice: How Leaders Turn Uncertain Moments into Defining Decisions
In an era of accelerating artificial intelligence, relentless disruption, and increasingly complex business challenges, organizations have access to more information than ever before—yet leaders often struggle to make the decisive choices necessary to move forward. Dr. Margie Warrell explores why the greatest obstacles to effective leadership are frequently not a lack of knowledge or strategy, but the deeply human fears that encourage hesitation, excessive caution, and avoidance of difficult decisions. Drawing on decades of executive advisory experience, behavioral science, and the principles introduced in The Courage Gap, Warrell reveals how fear can influence judgment, distort perceptions of risk, and prevent organizations from acting on opportunities they already recognize. She introduces practical strategies for identifying the psychological traps that undermine decision-making, distinguishing intelligent risks from unnecessary dangers, and understanding the accumulating costs of inaction. Audiences learn how to manage emotional responses under pressure, reduce decision fatigue, and apply a practical framework for making values-driven choices with greater clarity and conviction. Through compelling stories, interactive reflection, and actionable leadership insights, Warrell challenges participants to recognize that courage is not the absence of uncertainty but the capacity to act purposefully despite it. This keynote equips leaders to make better decisions, take responsible risks, strengthen accountability, and create cultures where people have the confidence to move from knowing what matters to doing what matters.
Courage to Lead in an AI World: The Deeper Intelligence No Algorithm Can Replicate
Artificial intelligence is transforming how organizations operate, compete, innovate, and make decisions, but the rapid advancement of technology also raises an increasingly important question: What distinctly human capabilities will determine leadership success in an AI-driven future? Dr. Margie Warrell examines why courage, judgment, empathy, ethical responsibility, and the ability to navigate uncertainty are becoming more valuable as machines assume greater responsibility for processing information and automating routine decisions. Drawing on her experience advising global executives and studying human behavior, Warrell explores the psychological and organizational challenges that arise when technological change outpaces established leadership practices. She demonstrates why access to sophisticated data and advanced tools does not automatically produce better decisions, particularly when fear, institutional habits, and resistance to change prevent individuals from acting on available insights. Audiences discover how to strengthen their capacity for independent thinking, challenge outdated assumptions, make values-based decisions, and cultivate trust in environments characterized by constant technological disruption. Warrell also emphasizes the importance of creating organizational cultures where employees feel empowered to question conventional approaches, embrace continuous learning, and contribute their distinctly human strengths. Combining practical leadership strategies with a forward-looking perspective on the changing workplace, this keynote helps organizations prepare for a future in which technological intelligence and human courage must work together to achieve meaningful progress.
Dare to Change Before You Have To: Grow Courage to Be Change-Ready, Not Just Change-Managed
The organizations best prepared for the future are not necessarily those with the most resources or sophisticated strategies, but those whose leaders and employees have developed the courage to adapt before circumstances force them to change. Dr. Margie Warrell explores why individuals and organizations often cling to familiar practices even when they recognize that existing approaches are becoming less effective. Drawing on behavioral science, international leadership experience, and her work with Fortune 500 organizations, she examines how fear of failure, uncertainty, and attachment to established ways of thinking can undermine innovation and organizational agility. Warrell challenges audiences to move beyond simply managing change after it occurs and instead develop the mindset necessary to anticipate disruption, question assumptions, and pursue new opportunities proactively. She demonstrates how leaders can encourage experimentation, strengthen resilience, foster psychological safety, and create environments where individuals feel empowered to challenge outdated practices without fear of unnecessary criticism or punishment. Participants discover practical ways to reframe uncertainty, build confidence through action, and recognize that meaningful growth often requires letting go of familiar approaches before the need becomes urgent. Through engaging storytelling and actionable insights, Warrell inspires organizations to embrace change as an ongoing leadership responsibility and develop cultures capable of adapting, innovating, and thriving in an unpredictable world.
Speak Bravely: Brave the Awkward Conversations in a World Built for Avoidance
Some of the most important conversations in business are also the ones people are most likely to avoid. Whether addressing underperformance, challenging an executive decision, offering difficult feedback, confronting unhealthy workplace behaviors, or discussing uncomfortable truths, leaders frequently delay necessary conversations because they fear conflict, rejection, or damaging relationships. Dr. Margie Warrell examines the hidden organizational costs of this avoidance, demonstrating how unspoken concerns can undermine trust, weaken accountability, reinforce unhealthy assumptions, and prevent teams from addressing problems before they escalate. Drawing on her extensive experience advising senior executives and developing courageous leadership cultures, Warrell introduces practical strategies for approaching difficult conversations with clarity, empathy, honesty, and confidence. She helps audiences understand the emotional dynamics that influence communication under pressure and explains why effective dialogue requires the ability to balance candor with respect, conviction with curiosity, and accountability with genuine concern for others. Participants discover how to challenge assumptions, communicate expectations more effectively, address disagreements constructively, and create environments where individuals feel empowered to raise concerns and contribute different perspectives. By demonstrating that courageous communication is a skill that can be learned and strengthened, Warrell equips leaders and teams to replace avoidance with productive dialogue, build stronger relationships, and create cultures where important conversations lead to meaningful progress.
Dr. Margie Warrell Books
Stop Playing Safe: How To Be Braver in Your Work, Leadership and Life
Purchase Book
The Courage Gap: 5 Steps to Braver Action
Purchase BookDr. Margie Warrell Videos
Dr. Margie Warrell Articles
Dr. Margie Warrell Speaker Testimonials
“One word: Amazing. Not only was Margie's message tailored perfectly for our audience but her one on one interactions with attendees made the experience that much more personable. The feedback we received was phenomenal.”
- Victoria Lambert, Talent Management | AT&T
“Margie's session was terrific. She was inspiring, bold, and dovetailed seamlessly with our key themes.”
- Kristen O'Hara, Vice President, Client Solutions | Google
“If you want to embolden your teams and leaders to raise their sights and take more courageous action, Margie is the perfect adrenaline-like shot of inspiration you need.”
- Sarah McKensey, Vice President | Johnson & Johnson
